Louisville Magazine is Louisville's city magazine, covering Louisville people, lifestyles, politics, sports, restaurants, entertainment and homes. Includes a monthly calendar of events.
Issue link: https://loumag.epubxp.com/i/70972
Best Coach Scotty Davenport, Bellarmine Men's Basketball Back in October, I left a message for Scotty Davenport. It was him on the voicemail and everything. Five minutes later, he called back. "We'd love to have you!" he said. I'd asked if he'd let me cover his Division II basketball team as it traveled to play an exhibition at Duke. "Tat works," he said. I could fly on the same Southwest flight as the team, eat with them at Golden Corral, stay at the same La Quinta. "Yep, yep, yep." He invited me to the friends-and-family party in his suite for bourbon, beer and World Series-watching. Tis isn't what coaches are supposed to do. His team won the DII national championship in 2011. Lost in the semis last season. Recently, I called him up again, asking why he was so willing to let a writer in. "We don't have a marketing budget," the 56-year-old said. "Our players, in the realm of marketing, are an absolute gold mine." He's right. Quotes from Braydon Hobbs engulfed my notebook. (My favorite: Hobbs was drinking from a soda cup in the airport and said, "Hey, coach, ever drank beer through a straw?" Davenport grinned.) Getting to know the coach and players makes you care about the team. "Maybe some of it's my personality," Davenport said. "I think if you're in coaching and teaching, you'd better be a people person. I mean, what am I going to do? Go back to my room to sit and brood?" Ten he told a story about how he tore a meniscus but had done six miles on a stationary bike "less than one week after surgery! I told my players, 'Don't tell me about rehabbing!'" He invited me to go running with him once his knee's ready. — JM Glassblower Chad Best Balster "I've seen Chad on fire, eat fire and have fire submit to his will." — Melissa Duley 7.12 LOUISVILLE MAGAZINE [61] EC Photo by Nicholas Karem Photo by Amanda Bates EC